Operating mechanism for automatic musical instruments.



No. 788,265. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

, A, KELLER. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ALFRED KELLER PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

A. KELLER. OPERATING MBOHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTAPPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 5140011 00: ALFRED KELLER UNITED STATES Patented April25, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

' ALFRED KELLER, OF ST. OROIX, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS PHILIPPEMERMOD, GUSTAVE ALFRED MERMOD, AND LEON MAR- OEL MERMOD, COPARTNERSTRADING AS MERMOD FRERES, OF ST.

OROIX, SWITZERLAND.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,265, dated April25, 1905.

Application filed April 22,1903. Serial No. 153,736.

1'0 (ti/Z whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED KELLER, a citi- Zen of Germany, residing atSt. OroiX, in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Automatic MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to operating mechanism for automatic musicalinstruments, and particularly to mechanism for winding and driving.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, durable, andreliable construction by means of which the tune sheet or disk of anautomatic musical instrument may be driven and which itself may be woundreadily and will be locked automatically on releasing the winding-arborto prevent unwinding. The construction provides also that the spring maynot be overwound. The winding of the driving mechanism of this characteris performed in a manner which is practically noiseless.

For these purposes the invention consists in providing a frictionalclutch device for one shaft of the winding mechanism and in theconstruction and arrangement of the other parts of the driving gears orgearing in such a manner as to cooperate with the winding mechanism toproduce the most efficient and satisfactory results. The construction ismore particularly shown in the drawings and described in the followingspecification.

Figure 1 is a plan View of an instrument embodying the improvements ofmy invention, parts being broken away and the interior gearing showndotted. Fig. 2 is avertical cross-section and elevation of mechanismembodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective fragmentary detail, onan enlarged scale, of the clutch on the winding-arbor and the partsadjacent thereto. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the winding-drum, thepower-shaft being shown in cross-section.

1 is the main power-shaft of the instrument, which has its lower bearingin the plate 2 and its upper bearing in the sound-board 3.

4 is the driving-spring, the inner end of which is attached to thepower-shaft l and the outer end of which is attached to the drum or case5.

6 is a gear attached to the drum 5 and which receives an impulse fromthe spring 4 when this is wound up.

7 is a pinion mounted on the main driving.- shaft 8, which meshes withthe gear 6.

9 is another gear carried by the drivingshaft 8, which coacts withsuitable mechanism for starting, stopping, and regulating the speed ofthe instrument.

A suitable brake or stop mechanism is provided to coact with thisgearing or mechanism, so as to hold the gear 9, and consequently thedriving-shaft 8 and the drum 5, stationary when the instrument isdesired to be at rest. This mechanism is particularly shown in myapplication, Serial No. 153,735, filed herewith.

I 10 is the main winding-gear, attached to the shaft 1 at its lower endand in mesh with the winding-pinion 11, carried by the winding-arbor 12.

13 is a pin or projection carried by the winding-arbor 12, which mayserve to coact with a suitable winding-handle or may be considered torepresent a winding handle or device by means of which the shaft 12 maybe rotated by hand or otherwise. When the winding-arbor 12 is rotated inthe direction of the arrow, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, thewinding-gear 10 and the power-shaft 1 are rotated in the oppositedirection. This causes the winding up of the spring 4 and the consequentstoring of energy therein.

At each rotation of the power-shaft 1 the pawl 15 carried therebyengages with a tooth of the segmental gear or automatic lock 16 androtates this one tooth. T/Vhen the last tion.

ence of the lock 16, and thus prevent further winding of the spring 4.When the winding has ceased and the arbor 12 is released, the tension ofthe spring 4 obviously tends to rotate the parts in the reversedirection. This unwinding is prevented by means of the clutch 14. Theconstruction of this clutch is particularly shown in Fig. 3. The clutchis formed of a band Wound spirally and rather tightly about the arbor12. 17 is the lower end of this strip, which thence passes around thetwo supporting and guiding pins 18 and 19. When the arbor is turned inthe direction of the arrow, it tends to unwind the band 1 1, andconsequently the arbor is free to revolve. When the arbor is releasedand the tension of the springettends to rotate the arbor in the oppositedirection, friction is set up between the cylindrical surface of thearbor and the interior surface of the coil of the clutch 1 1. Thisresults in a tightening of the clutch 14 until the friction becomes sogreat as to bind the two,and thus securely lock the arbor 12 againstrotation in the reverse direction. Obviously the arbor will rotate ashort distance until it comes to a stop under the friction al engagementof the clutch. This is but a small part of a revolution and brings thearbor to rest gradually in a somewhat yielding manner, so that there isno danger of a shock which might cause injury to the mechanism.

The stopping or braking mechanism which is connected with the maindriving-shaft 8 consists of a train of gears meshing with the gear 9, assuggested in dotted outline in Fig. 1. The gear 9 meshes with the pinion20, which rotates with the gear 21. The gear 21 meshes with a pinion 22,which latter rotates with the worm-gear 23. The wormgear 23 meshes witha worm 24, which rotates a fan-governor of a suitable construc- By thisreduction-gearing the speed of the shaft 8 is regulated and the shaftthus prevented from running away when the usual disk of the instrumentis removed.

The construction will therefore be seen to be simple and reliable. Theclutch is located, preferably, on the arbor in such a positionrelatively to the parts of the mechanism that it can be readily got atfor purposes of repair or inspection, as desired. The band 14 ispreferably of metal, such as steel, tempered or of a springy character,so that in the normal action it will lightly grip the arbor, but inwinding it will assume a slightly-larger diameter than the diameter ofthe winding-arbor, so that the winding process may be accomplished withas little friction as possible.

The operation is simple and accompanied with little friction, so that itis practically noiseless, all ratchets and spring-pawls being dispensedwith.

What I claim is 1. In an operating mechanism for an automatic musicalinstrument, the combination of a stationary plate, a winding-arbor and awide, flat clutch-band surrounding said arbor having one end free andthe other end secured to said stationary plate and a spring-pressedtrain of gears normally restrained by said clutch and winding-arbor forthe purpose specified.

2. In an operating mechanism for an automatic musical instrument, thecombination of a system of gears, a driving-spring for rotating thesame, a stationary plate, a rotary shaft pivoted in said plate, and afriction clutchband wound around said shaft having one end absolutelyfree and the other end secured to said plate, and normally holding oneend of said spring stationary, substantially as described.

Signed at Geneva, Switzerland, this 8th day of April, 1903.

ALFRED KELLER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES KIENLE, L. H. MUNION.

